Benld, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benld, Illinois
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Location in Macoupin County, Illinois
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 Benld, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Macoupin |
| Townships | Cahokia, Gillespie |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.06 sq mi (2.75 km2) |
| • Land | 1.06 sq mi (2.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 620 ft (190 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,464 |
| • Density | 1,381.13/sq mi (533.24/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
62009
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| Area code(s) | 217 |
| FIPS code | 17-05209 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394134 |
Benld (pronounced BƏ-neld) is a small city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, about 1,464 people lived there. It is located in the Metro-East part of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area.
Did you know that Reader's Digest once called Benld the "most difficult to pronounce" place name in Illinois?
Contents
History of Benld
Benld was started in 1903. It was named after Benjamin L. Dorsey, who helped get the land and coal mining rights for the town. "Benld" is a mix of his first name, middle initial, and last initial.
For many years, Benld had a Russian Orthodox church. It opened in 1901 for immigrants who came to work in the mines. In 2010, this church became a monastery.
The Benld Meteorite
On September 29, 1938, something amazing happened in Benld. A meteorite fell from space and landed right in the city! This was only the third meteorite ever recorded to land in Illinois.
What makes this meteorite special is that it hit a man-made object. It punched a hole through the roof of Edward McCain's garage. Then, it landed right in the seat of his 1928 Pontiac car! A neighbor, Mrs. Carl Crum, was standing nearby. She was very close to being hit by a meteorite, which was very rare at that time.
Today, you can see the meteorite and parts of the car it hit. They are on display at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Benld Elementary School and Mine Subsidence
In March 2009, the Benld Elementary School was badly damaged. The problem was caused by mine subsidence. This happens when the ground sinks because of old underground coal mines. The school was only seven years old, but the damage was so bad it had to be closed.
More than 700 students were left without a school. They had to move to the Gillespie High School and Middle School campus. For a while, students had to attend school in shifts. High school and middle school students went in the morning, and elementary students went in the afternoon.
Eventually, the elementary students moved to different temporary locations. The community worked hard to get money to build a new school. They even won $250,000 from a Pepsi contest! The new school is now called Ben-Gil Elementary School. It serves both Benld and Gillespie communities.
Geography of Benld
Benld is located in the southeastern part of Macoupin County. It is next to the villages of Sawyerville to the south and Mount Clare to the northwest.
Illinois Route 4 runs along the western edge of Benld. This road goes north about 2.5 miles (4 km) to Gillespie. It also goes south about 6 miles (10 km) to Staunton. Illinois Route 138 goes through the middle of Benld. It leads southeast about 4 miles (6 km) to White City and Interstate 55. The big city of St. Louis is about 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Benld.
Benld covers an area of about 1.06 square miles (2.75 square kilometers). All of this area is land. A small stream flows through the center of Benld. It eventually joins Cahokia Creek, which flows into the Mississippi River.
Population in Benld
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,912 | — | |
| 1920 | 3,316 | 73.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,980 | −10.1% | |
| 1940 | 2,444 | −18.0% | |
| 1950 | 2,093 | −14.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,848 | −11.7% | |
| 1970 | 1,736 | −6.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,638 | −5.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,604 | −2.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,541 | −3.9% | |
| 2010 | 1,556 | 1.0% | |
| 2020 | 1,464 | −5.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the census in 2000, there were 1,541 people living in Benld. Most people in the city were White (98.25%). A small number of people were African American, Native American, or from other backgrounds. About 1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
The average household in Benld had about 2.28 people. The average family had about 2.89 people. In 2000, the median age of people in Benld was 37 years old.
Notable People from Benld
- A. C. Bartulis (1927-2011), a politician and businessman, was born in Benld.
See also
In Spanish: Benld para niños
